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Dealing with the Hidden Dangers of Dining Out

From the smallest local “greasy spoon” favorites to industrial operations making thousands of prepared meals per day, Camfil can provide a solution that will work for every business.

Whether it’s sitting for a six-course meal at a fancy five-star restaurant or grabbing a quick bite for lunch at a favorite fast food place, it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t like to leave the cooking to someone else once in a while and have a meal out. Just looking around any typical neighborhood it’s easy to find everything from popular local foods to exotic cuisines from around the world.

Even though restaurants come in all shapes and sizes with so many different types of foods, there is one thing they all have in common. The constant cooking that goes on in every food establishment releases all kinds of harmful pollutants into the air, both inside and outside.

Cooking Creates Contamination

The simple act of cooking food releases many different type of contaminants into the air. Cooking is, after all, an act of controlled combustion. Just as the combustion that happens in your car’s engine produces harmful exhaust, the combustion that occurs inside an oven or on top of a stove produces many of the same contaminants that are bad for our health.

Frying, grilling and toasting foods, whether with gas or electric equipment, creates particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and a variety of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. To illustrate just how bad some of the airborne contaminants released by cooking can be, acrolein is a substance that most people recognize as the smell of burnt oils or fats. This substance was actually used in grenades during World War II because of its irritating effects on the lungs and eyes. We are just so accustomed to the smells, both pleasant and unpleasant, that go along with cooking that we don’t associate them with something that could be bad for our health.

Filtration Is Important for Protection

Making use of HVAC systems capable of not only moving the air, but filtering it as well, is a primary concern in the restaurant industry. Without filtration, the air in any commercial eating establishment would quickly turn into a cloud of unpleasant odors and harmful pollutants. Without effective air filtration, staff would undoubtedly suffer damage to their health from working in such a high level of contaminants. In addition, customers would be exposed to an endless variety of odors that would ultimately result in a negative dining experience.

Controlling the air flow and quality in restaurants brings unique challenges. In the kitchens, air is constantly being forced out through exhaust fans over cooking appliances. At the same time, doors are almost constantly being opened and closed, bringing in outside air and altering the pressure of the air within the building. Special attention must be paid to all facets of building and HVAC design in order to keep everything functioning as it should, for the health and safety of both patrons and staff.

Camfil Products Make A Difference

Camfil’s air filtration products are designed to efficiently remove everything from sub-micron sized particles to toxic gases and bad odors from the air. From the smallest local “greasy spoon” favorites to industrial operations making thousands of prepared meals per day, Camfil can provide a solution that will work for every business.

With more than 50 years of experience in the air filtration industry, Camfil’s position as a market leader is built on relentless innovation and dedication to quality. Camfil products can improve any air ventilation system, with certified filtration efficiency, proven lower energy consumption and the lowest total cost of ownership available. We can help you to improve the quality of the air your breath and save you money while doing it.